El Paso, Texas – On Friday night, El Paso Locomotive FC earned a hard‑fought 2-1 victory over San Antonio FC at Southwest University Park, moving the Locos into the Western Conference semifinals of the USL Championship. The win was celebrated by a crowd of 4,078 spectators under clear, 74‑degree skies.
Key moments
The Locomotive opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Rubio Rubín tapped in a cross from Beto Avila that slipped through the San Antonio defense. Rubín also helped preserve the lead before halftime, clearing a dangerous San Antonio attempt inches from the goal line.
Early in the second half, Tony Alfaro doubled the Locos’ advantage by heading home a lofted cross from Robert Coronado. San Antonio responded late in the match, cutting the deficit to one goal, but the visitors could not find an equalizer as the Locomotive held firm defensively to close out the win.
Match statistics
- Final score: El Paso Locomotive FC 2, San Antonio FC 1
- Possession: 41% El Paso, 59% San Antonio
- Shots: 10 (3 on goal) for El Paso; 14 (7 on goal) for San Antonio
- Saves: 6 by El Paso goalkeeper, 1 by San Antonio goalkeeper
- Fouls: 16 each side
- Corners: 4 for El Paso, 8 for San Antonio
Lineups
El Paso Locomotive FC (3‑4‑3): Abraham Romero, Tony Alfaro, Palermo Ortiz, Kofi Twumasi (substituted at 45’ for Noah Dollenmayer), Ricky Ruiz (45’ for Gabi Torres), Eric Calvillo, Robert Coronado, Alvaro Quezada (85’ for Omar Mora), Rubio Rubín, Beto Avila (66’ for Amando Moreno), Alex Méndez (82’ for Daniel Gomez). Unused substitutes: Carl Sainté, Kenneth Hoban, Trace Alphin.
San Antonio FC (5‑4‑1): Joseph Batrouni, Mitchell Taintor, Santiago Suarez, Alex Crognale, Nelson Flores, Akeem Ward, Emil Cuello, Curt Calov, Lucio Berron, Cristian Parano, Santiago Patino. Unused substitutes: Richard Sanchez, Daniel Barbir, Rece Buckmaster.
Looking ahead
With the win, El Paso Locomotive FC now awaits the outcome of the Sacramento Republic FC versus FC Tulsa quarterfinal. The Locos will host the semifinal winner at Southwest University Park, giving local fans another opportunity to see high‑stakes soccer in the city.
San Antonio FC will look to regroup as they finish the regular season, hoping to secure a favorable seed for the upcoming playoff round.
Both clubs continue to draw strong community support, underscoring the growing popularity of professional soccer in West Texas.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
